Alabama State Bankruptcy Exemptions
§ 6-10-2. Homestead exemption generally
The homestead of every resident of this state, with the improvements and
appurtenances, not exceeding in value $ 5,000 and in area 160 acres, shall be,
to the extent of any interest he or she may have therein, whether a fee or less
estate or whether held in common or in severalty, exempt from levy and sale
under execution or other process for the collection of debts during his or her
life and occupancy and, if he or she leaves surviving him or her a spouse and a
minor child, or children, or either, during the life of the surviving spouse
and minority of the child, or children, but the area of the homestead shall not
be enlarged by reason of any encumbrance thereon or of the character of the
estate or interest owned therein by him or her. When a husband and wife jointly
own a homestead each is entitled to claim separately the exemption provided
herein, to the same extent and value as an unmarried individual. For purposes
of this section and Sections 6-10-38 and 6-10-40, a mobile home or similar
dwelling if the principal place of residence of the individual claiming the
exemption shall be deemed to be a homestead.
§ 6-10-5. Burial places and church pews
In favor of any resident of this state, there shall also be exempt from levy
and sale, under execution or other process, any lot or lots in cemeteries or
elsewhere, set apart or used as a burial place for himself or herself or family
and any pew or seat in any church or other place of worship, held and occupied
by him or her for the use of himself or herself or family.
§ 6-10-6. Personal property
The personal property of such resident, except for wages, salaries, or other
compensation, to the extent of the resident's interest therein, to the amount
of $ 3,000 in value, to be selected by him or her, and, in addition thereto,
all necessary and proper wearing apparel for himself or herself and family, all
family portraits or pictures and all books used in the family shall also be
exempt from levy and sale under execution or other process for the collection
of debts. No wages, salaries, or other compensation shall be exempt except as
provided in Section 5-19-15 or Section 6-10-7.
§ 6-10-7. Wages, salaries, compensation
(a) The wages, salaries, or other compensation of laborers or employees,
residents of this state, for personal services, shall be exempt from levy under
writs of garnishment or other process for the collection of debts contracted or
judgments entered in tort in an amount equal to 75 percent of such wages,
salaries, or other compensation due or to become due to such laborers or
employees, and the levy as to such percentage of their wages, salaries, or
other compensation shall be void. The court issuing the writ or levy shall show
thereon the amount of the claim of the plaintiff and the court costs in the
proceedings. If at any time during the pendency of the proceedings in the court
a judgment is entered for a different amount, then the court shall notify the
garnishee of the correct amount due by the defendant under the writ or levy.
The garnishee shall retain 25 percent of the wages, salaries, or other
compensation of the laborer or employee during the period of time as is
necessary to accumulate a sum equal to the amount shown as due by the court on
the writ or levy. Should the employment of the defendant for any reason be
terminated with the garnishee, then the garnishee shall not later than 15 days
after the termination of employment, report the termination to the court and
pay into court all sums withheld from the defendant's wages, salaries, or other
compensation. If the plaintiff in garnishment contests the answer of the
garnishee, as now provided by law in such cases, and proves to the court the
deficiency or untruth of the garnishee's answer, the court shall enter judgment
against the garnishee for such amount as would have been subject to the order
of condemnation had the sum not been released to the defendant.
(b) The garnishee shall, after a period of 30 days from the first retention of
any sum from the defendant's wages, salaries, or other compensation, commence
paying the funds into court, as they are deducted or withheld and continue to
do so on a monthly or more frequent basis until the full amount is withheld.
Upon receipt by the court of a written request by the plaintiff, the court may
enter an order of condemnation of said funds received and thereupon disburse
the same to the plaintiff.
§ 6-10-8. Life insurance beneficiaries, assignees
If a policy of insurance, whether heretofore or hereafter issued, is effected
by any person on his or her own life or on another life in favor of a person
other than himself or herself or, except in cases of transfer with intent to
defraud creditors, if a policy of life insurance is assigned or in any way made
payable to any such person, the lawful beneficiary or assignee thereof, other
than the insured or the person so effecting such insurance, or his or her
executors or administrators, shall be entitled to its proceeds and avails
against the creditors and representatives of the insured and of the person
effecting the same, whether or not the right to change the beneficiary is
reserved or permitted and whether or not the policy is made payable to the
person whose life is insured if the beneficiary or assignee shall predecease
such person; provided, that subject to the statute of limitations, the amount
of any premiums for said insurance paid with intent to defraud creditors, with
interest thereon, shall inure to their benefit from the proceeds of the policy;
but the company issuing the policy shall be discharged of all liability thereon
by payment of its proceeds in accordance with its terms unless, before such
payment, the company shall have written notice, by or in behalf of a creditor,
of a claim to recover for transfer made or premiums paid with intent to defraud
creditors, with specifications of the amount claimed. A husband or a wife, in
his or her own name or in the name of a trustee, may insure the life of his or
her spouse for the benefit of himself or herself, or for the benefit of himself
or herself and any child or children of the marriage; or a husband or a wife
may insure his or her own life for the benefit of his or her spouse, or for the
benefit of his or her spouse and children, or for the benefit of their
children, either in the names of such children or in the name of a trustee; and
such insurance and the proceeds and avails thereof, whether or not the right to
change the beneficiary is reserved or permitted, is exempt from liability for
the debts or engagements of the insured, or for the torts of the insured, or
for any penalty or damages recoverable of the insured.
§ 6-10-11. Bankruptcy; Title 11 cases
In cases instituted under the provisions of Title 11 of the United States Code
entitled "Bankruptcy," there shall be exempt from the property of the estate of
an individual debtor only that property and income which is exempt under the
laws of the State of Alabama and under federal laws other than Subsection (d)
of Section 522 of said Title 11 of the United States Code.
§ 5-19-15. Garnishment
Prior to entry of judgment on a consumer credit transaction, the creditor may
not attach unpaid earnings of the debtor by garnishment. Notwithstanding the
garnishment procedure otherwise applicable after judgment, with respect to a
consumer credit transaction, the amount of unpaid earnings of the debtor
subject to garnishment shall not exceed the lesser of:
(1) Twenty-five percent of the debtor's disposable earnings for that week; or
(2) The amount by which the debtor's disposable earnings for that week exceed
30 times the federal minimum hourly wage in effect when payable.
"Disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of a debtor remaining
after deduction of amounts required by law to be withheld, and disposable
earnings shall not include periodic payments pursuant to a pension, retirement,
or disability program.
§ 6-9-41. Crops
No execution or other legal process must be levied upon a growing or ungathered
crop of any description except for the purpose of enforcing liens upon such
crop for rent, advances, or labor as prescribed by law.
§ 38-4-8. Exemption from taxes and process
All amounts paid or payable as public assistance to needy persons shall be
exempt from any tax levied by the state or any subdivision thereof and shall be
exempt from levy, garnishment, attachment or any other process whatsoever and
shall be inalienable, and in the case of bankruptcy, shall not pass to the
trustee or other person acting on behalf of the creditors of the recipient of
public assistance.
§ 25-5-86. Default
For purposes of this article and Article 4 of this chapter:
(1) If the award, order, or settlement agreement is payable in installments and
default has been made in the payment of an installment, the owner or interested
party may, upon the expiration of 30 days from the default and upon five days'
notice to the defaulting employer or defendant, move for a modification of the
award or settlement agreement by ascertaining the present value of the case,
including the 15 percent penalty provision of Section 25-5-59, under the rule
of computation contained in Section 25-5-85, and upon which execution may
issue. The defaulting employer may relieve itself of the execution by entering
into a good and sufficient bond, to be approved by the judge, securing the
payment of all future installments, and forthwith paying all past due
installments with interest and penalty thereon since due. The bond shall be
recorded upon the minutes of the court.
(2) Claims for compensation, awards, judgments, or agreements to pay
compensation owned by an injured employee or his or her dependent shall not be
assignable and shall be exempt from seizure or sale or garnishment for the
payment of any debt or liability.
§ 25-4-140. Unauthorized assignment of rights
Any assignment, pledge or encumbrance of any right to benefits which are or may
become due or payable under this chapter, except as is provided by this
chapter, shall be void, and such rights to benefits shall be exempt from levy,
execution, attachment or any other remedy whatsoever provided for the
collection of debts. Any waiver of any exemption herein provided, unless
expressly permitted by this section, shall be void.
§ 27-14-31. Proceeds; exemption of income benefits
The proceeds or avails of all contracts or disability insurance and of
provisions providing benefits on account of the insured's disability which are
supplemental to life insurance or annuity contracts, heretofore or hereafter
effected, shall be exempt from all liability for any debt of the insured and
from any debt of the beneficiary existing at the time the proceeds are made
available for his use. The exemption of income benefits payable as the result
of disability shall not exceed an average of $ 250.00 of such benefits per
month of the period of disability.
§ 27-34-27. Attachment, garnishment or other process
No money or other benefit, charity, relief or aid to be paid, provided or
rendered by any society shall be liable to attachment, garnishment or other
process or to be seized, taken, appropriated or applied by any legal or
equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or liability of a member
or beneficiary, or any other person who may have a right thereunder, either
before or after payment by the society.
§ 16-25-23. Tax exemption
The right of a person to a pension; an annuity, or a retirement allowance; to
the return of contributions; the pension, annuity or retirement allowance
itself; any optional benefit or any other right accrued or accruing to any
person under the provisions of this chapter; and the moneys in the various
funds created by this chapter are hereby exempt from any state or municipal tax
and exempt from levy and sale, garnishment, attachment or any other process
whatsoever, and shall be unassignable except as in this chapter specifically
otherwise provided.
§ 36-27-28. Tax exemptions
The right of a person to a pension, an annuity, a retirement allowance or to
the return of contributions, the pension, annuity or retirement allowance
itself and any optional benefit or any other right accrued or accruing to any
person under the provisions of this article and the moneys in the various funds
created by this chapter are hereby exempt from any state or municipal tax and
exempt from levy and sale, garnishment, attachment or any other process
whatsoever and shall be unassignable except as in this article specifically
otherwise provided.
§ 36-21-77. Immunity from judgment
None of the moneys referred to in this article or any benefit or annuity
payable under this article shall be subject to attachment, garnishment or
judgment entered against any member or any beneficiary entitled to receive the
same nor shall any such be assignable. All payments of such annuities and
benefits shall be paid directly to the member or to the beneficiary provided
for in this article.
Note: Exemptions may have changed since our last update. For the latest updates on these property exemptions, speak to a local bankruptcy lawyer.
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